


the beauty that is us

by sunsethue



Series: April child Lee Jeno [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 09:20:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18312731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsethue/pseuds/sunsethue
Summary: Sometimes, high school reunions aren't just for catching up with people in your past but also for you to realize where your life has led you now.Inspired by the song Maybe the Night by Ben&Ben.





	the beauty that is us

At the age of 30, high school reunions were the last thing in Jeno’s mind. His workload has increased a lot this year after he was promoted so he’d rather spend his short weekend playing video games with his lover and resting at home instead of dressing up for a party with people he hasn’t seen in more than a decade. 

Not to mention he has to travel for two hours to his old town just for this event. He hasn’t been there since he moved to Seoul for college since his parents migrated abroad that same year and all his closest high school friends went to universities in the same city too. Good thing he doesn’t need to wear a suit just yet because the venue of the party is a hotel and his date booked a room for them for their convenience and so that Jeno doesn’t need to drive late after the party.

But despite all the hassle of this one event that Jeno doesn’t deem very important, he is still excitedly going through it. Ninety percent of the reason is his beautiful date for the night and only 10 percent so he can actually catch up with people who knew him in this teenage years and see for himself where life led them all. His date did tell him when the invitation arrived that maybe a high school reunion is just what they need now that they are in their 30s already.

*

 

The ballroom of the hotel was spacious and it was elegantly decorated with their school colors, navy blue and silver. It was definitely a huge glow up from their Hawaiian-themed senior prom that Jeno fondly remembered for being a fun night despite the cheap decorations. 

When Jeno arrived at the registration booth, there was a bit of a buzz. During his high school years, Jeno played in a band with his friends and his look back then matched the angsty emo-rock songs they loved to play. His clean-cut look that matched his corporate work and degree in finance must’ve been a bit of shock to his batch mates.

After signing his name, their batch representative, Kim Yerim, ushered him to the side. 

“Hi Jeno! It’s good to see you. I’m sorry this has to be the first thing I’d tell you after not seeing you for more than 10 years,” she said.

Jeno can see a bit of panic in her eyes as she shoved a paper to him. It appeared to be the seat plan for the night.

“The seat plan was made by Mr. Park and I know it’s been years but I’m not sure if your seat will be to your preference. I can’t really change anything anymore now but I just want to warn you in advance, I guess, so it won’t be too awkward?” she said.

Jeno silently read the names in the table he was assigned and let out a tiny laugh.

“It’s okay, Yerim. The names are all familiar to me so I think there won’t be a problem,” he said.

Yerim sighed in relief. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s really okay with you to be seated next to Na Jaemin?”

“Yeah, sure. Like you said, it’s been more than 10 years. I’m sure it’s different now,” Jeno said, with a laugh.

“Then I’m glad. I know you both hated each other so much in high school and all of us in the registration booth remembered that big fight you had after Johnny’s graduation party so we panicked a bit. But it’s been a long time and we are different people now so maybe this is a chance for you to be friends?”

Jeno smiled wider, recalling that infamous fight for himself. High school Lee Jeno really got himself in a lot of trouble back then.

“Don’t worry about that anymore, Yerim. It’s been a long time and many things have changed. Thanks for the concern though. Let’s just enjoy tonight.”

*

The first familiar person he spotted in his assigned table was his own best friend Mark and his husband, Donghyuck.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” Mark said, not even sparing Jeno a greeting. But then again they just saw each other last week so the treatment was expected. 

“Not even a hi for me first?” Jeno said.

“You know I like him more than I like you, Jen,” Mark said.

Jeno knew that because Mark loved to remind him that everytime he visiting their apartment.

“Well, he’s still upstairs dressing up. You know how slow he moves anywhere else that’s not the kitchen,” Jeno said. “By the way, Yerim actually warned me a while ago that we’d be sitting with Jaemin tonight.”

Mark laughed. “So it’s really still a big deal after all these years?”

“I didn’t know too but I guess all that hate we threw against each other made a lasting memory to the people around us.”

“I don’t understand,” Donghyuck said, looking confusedly at his boyfriend.

“Oh babe. I forgot you only met the improved version of Lee Jeno. Back in high school, he was always aloof and rude, like an ice prince. And he always got into fights with our high school’s golden boy, Na Jaemin.” 

“What the hell are you saying, Mark. If I was rude then you were too because we’re always together all our high school years,” Jeno said. 

“I wasn’t as cold as you, Jeno. You were always ignoring people and arguing against their golden boy so people were scared of you.”

Donghyuck interrupted them by pressing a finger on Mark’s cheek. “But what does golden boy mean?”

“Oh! Because everyone liked him. He was the captain of the soccer team and he was really friendly to everyone, even the teachers,” Mark said. “But Jeno called him a stuck up in freshman year so never got along well in high school.”

“He was a stuck up. And he always made snide comments about my hair and our music, that’s why we never got along,” Jeno said.

“That’s because I didn’t think the grungy, long hair look and emo-style matched you well, Lee Jeno,” a voice from behind him spoke up. 

When Jeno turned around, Jaemin was there with a full smile and dressed so nicely. 

It seemed like Jaemin’s presence remained a powerful magnet in their batch because suddenly everyone’s attention turned to their table. 

Jeno stood up from his seat to match Jaemin’s upright posture. He can feel everyone, aside from Mark and Donghyuck, whispering. From the ballroom’s entrance he can see Yerim entering and walking towards their table, probably ready to break a fight.

“Well, since you have so much concern on my style, what can you say about how I look tonight, Na Jaemin?” Jeno challenged.

Before Yerim can even reach them, Jaemin already pulled Jeno lightly towards him by the collar of his suit and give him deep kiss.

“I think, you look wonderful tonight, Jen,” Jaemin said.

Donghyuck grumbled loudly and said, “these two are always big on dramatics.”

But Mark let out a loud laugh as he noticed all of his batch mates with eyes opened wide and jaws dropped because their golden boy and cold ice prince suddenly kissed in front of them.

*

An hour into the party and people were still not over the stunt Jeno and Jaemin pulled. It wasn’t actually planned but people back home didn’t really know about their relationship since their group of friends have private social media accounts. Only those who still saw them in college were aware of their relationship. 

Chenle and Jisung had a big laugh too when Mark told them of everyone’s reactions. But Renjun was more sympathetic of Donghyuck’s annoyance.

“But I understand the shock too. I remember when Jeno first brought Jaemin in our apartment back in college. I thought it’s either the world was ending or my best friend was abducted by aliens,” Renjun said.

Since Donghyuck was the only one who didn’t go to their high school, he was regaled with many stories about the fights between Jeno and Jaemin in the past. Jaemin was very happy to listen to the stories too, even if he already knew them before.

“It’s always interesting to hear how it was from your perspective back then,” Jaemin said, as he squished Jeno’s hand lightly. “To me, I felt like it was our form of flirting but you really thought we hated each other.”

“If that was flirting to you, then you flirt so bad, love,” Jeno said. 

“Really? I thought it kinda worked. Why else would you agree to dance with me during our senior prom if it didn’t work right?” Jaemin said.

“We didn’t dance during prom. We danced after, when everyone has left and you were still waiting for your older brother to pick you up. We didn’t even have real music back then, just your phone playing. And I told you before, it was only because you really looked nice in that pink and orange shirt you wore. Plus you complimented the last song we performed for the party back then,” Jeno said. 

“A song you wrote,” Jaemin said, smiling so affectionately.

“Co-wrote,” Jeno replied but he returned the smile of his boyfriend.

They were interrupted by Yerim announcing the dance floor was now open for those who wanted to dance.

Jaemin pulled his boyfriend to the floor and as they slow danced he said, “your band should’ve played for us again tonight.”

“I can always play my guitar for you at home and you often hear the rest during our karaoke nights,” Jeno said.

“Still, it feels different when all five of you go up together and play music like how it was in high school. I’m sure Hyuck would’ve loved to see Mark perform too.”

“I thought you didn’t like my style in high school,” Jeno said.

“I didn’t like the way you looked but I’ve always liked your music. And I like it the most when it’s your songs you play.” 

“Would’ve you liked it better if I pursued music like what we argued about before at the night of Johnny’s party 10 years ago?” Jeno asked.

“No,” Jaemin said, leaning his head on Jeno’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t change anything that happened between us, that fight included. I was really immature back then and like you said, a stuck up. So I’d probably still call you out for not choosing music. If you listened to me then and pursued music, we probably wouldn’t meet in university and we probably wouldn’t be together now.”

“I didn’t understand it back then, Jaem, why you were frustrated I was choosing the safer path over the chance to play music,” Jeno said. “It’s only later that I found out that you’re parents were so against your dream to be a chef that you were projecting it to my situation. But all worked out well in the end right?”

“You mean, you enjoying your work in the corporate world and me fulfilling my dream of becoming a chef?” Jaemin asked.

“No, I mean us meeting each other again in university during the time we needed someone to believe in us the most and you stepping up your flirting game so I can recognize it better and now we finally have each other?” Jeno said, with a laugh.

Jaemin whined before agreeing. “I think it all worked out well. Like I said, I won’t change anything about us -- our past, our present. I just want to be with you in the future too.”

Jeno stopped their dancing so he can reach out to hold Jaemin’s face and kissed him deeply. It’s a kiss full of gratitude that the paths of their lives led them to each other and a kiss full of promise, that Jeno will love Jaemin, his own golden boy, until the end.


End file.
